Web Research Links for the Week of 12/24/18

Note: These links are posted at the top of the page as the week progresses. Links from previous weeks can be found under the “Current Quicklinx” button above. If you have a link you would like to share, please put it into a comment

Pending Home Sales Crash 7.7%, Biggest Drop In Four Years – by Tyler Durden – https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-28/pending-home-sales-crash-77-biggest-drop-four-years – “There was some hope for a rebound in US housing indicators, after the recent existing home sales print rebounded, but that was promptly dashed after pending home sales dropped again in November, sliding -0.7% vs the expected 1.0% increase, declining in six of the last eight months, with a cumulative loss since March of -5.9% (-8.9% annualized)… …and crashed a whopping 7.7% compared to last year, the biggest annual drop since April 2014… Always eager to put lipstick on a pig, commenting on the collapse NAR chief economist Larry Yun said ‘the latest decline in contract signings implies more short-term pullback in the housing sector and does not yet capture the impact of recent favorable conditions of mortgage rates.’ ” – Comment: “favorable conditions of mortgage rates” (?!) WTF is Yun talking about? The FED just raised interest rates for the 4th time this year, for a total of 1% interested added on top of a 30 mortgage. Buyers are staying away in droves.

Syria Celebrates, West Ignores – by Finian Cunningham – https://sputniknews.com/columnists/201812261071009577-syria-daesh-peace/ – “Take the people of Syria. After nearly eight years of horrific war, the nation is this year rejoicing the arrival of Christmas and the opportunity to show goodwill to their compatriots. Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7, but the festivities are underway. It’s wonderful to see how Syrians of all religions, or none, share in this holiday season. Their smiles are their gifts… As in this classic John Lennon Christmas song from 1971, the people of Syria can surely show heartfelt thanks that “war is over” — or at least largely over, enough to allow them to congregate on the streets of their major cities and towns to celebrate in peace. How fantastic is that!.. Yet none of these current joyous occasions in Syria are reported by Western news media. US media seem obsessed to report on President Donald Trump’s awkward phone call with a seven-year-old American girl in which he wondered if she still believes in Santa. Meanwhile, Britain’s BBC aired supposedly feel-good reports about two brown bears relocated from Japan to a zoo in England, and the birth of a giraffe… An important part of the West’s vile charade was exposed on December 20 when a United Nations conference heard from a range of speakers on the crimes committed by the so-called White Helmets against civilians. Expert testimony was given by investigative British journalist Vanessa Beeley as well as Russian ambassador Vasily Nebenzia, among others… As Canadian journalist Eva Bartlett points out, not one Western media news outlet reported on the irrefutable, comprehensive evidence presented at the conference, showing how the White Helmets were complicit in committing violations against civilians with the support of Western governments in premeditated propaganda stunts.”

Trump Scores, Breaks Generals’ 50-Year War Record – His national security team had been trying to box him in like every other president. But he called their bluff – by Gareth Porter – https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/trump-scores-breaks-generals-50-year-war-record-syria-mattis-dunford/ – “Mattis and Dunford were consciously exploiting Trump’s defensiveness about a timeline to press ahead with their own strategy unless and until Trump publicly called them on it. That is what finally happened some weeks after Trump’s six month deadline had passed. The claim by Trump advisors that they were taken by surprise was indeed disingenuous. What happened last week was that Trump followed up on the clear policy he had laid down in April…. Trump is now well aware that it is virtually impossible to carry out the foreign policy that he wants without advisors who are committed to the same objective. That means that he must find people who have remained outside the system during the permanent war years while being highly critical of its whole ideology and culture. If he can fill key positions with truly dissident figures, the last two years of this term in office could decisively clip the wings of the bureaucrats and generals who have created the permanent war state we find ourselves in today.”

Noose Tightens Around Kratom – FDA Attacks Mount and DEA Moves Closer to Schedule 1 Designation – by John Gever & Carol Duff – https://www.veteranstoday.com/2018/12/26/noose-tightens-around-kratom/ – “In April, we reported on an FDA order to remove some kratom products from the market because of Salmonella contamination. That turned out to be the opening shot in a war that the federal government has declared on the herbal product — or, at least, that’s how kratom’s advocates see it. In this story, we review what has happened since with the opioid mimic and the government’s efforts to discourage its use… Kratom comes from an Asian plant, Mitragyna speciosa, that has long been a mild recreational drug and part of folk remedies. In recent years, it has gained a following in North America with claims that it can relieve pain that conventional drugs can’t touch, and that it can also relieve symptoms of opioid withdrawal. It’s sold in smoke shops, “alternative medicine” storefronts, and, of course, online from countless vendors.” – Comment: my wife Cynthia uses Kratom every day to manage severe pain from fibromyalgia. For us, then, this is a a potential incursion by the Administrative System that would have life-changing implications.

Marxism Is Flooding American Society (5 min) – A short video starting with an 11 year old drag queen, and then moving onto a quick rundown on the Frankfurt School, which psychologically targeted the U.S. in particular for Social Engineering.

It’s Up, It’s Down, It’s Done — a Day in a Year of the Dow – by David Haggith – https://www.activistpost.com/2018/12/its-up-its-down-its-done-a-day-in-a-year-of-the-dow.html – “It looked like the violence of the day may have come from the Plunge Protection Team attempting to push the market up in the middle of the afternoon, except that the middle of the afternoon doesn’t fit the PPT’s MO because the birthing-sized push didn’t come in the PPT’s usual obvious final-hour press. So, what was the push in the penultimate hours all about?.. Was it everything the PPT could do to press the market up, and the press finally collapsed? Did the PPT try and fail? After a staggering rise (literally, as in up and down and up), the market plummeted in the final hour from a roughly 225-point positive position on the Dow down to close at about -75, leaving us with indisputably the worst December in market history by several measures or, as I called it, the December to Remember.” – Comment: This is one of the best articles I’ve ever seen for interpreting the meaning of the action of the markets over the course of a day. Haggith throws in much illuminating analysis about the current state of the economy.

Venezuelans Shudder at News of Biometric ID Deal with Chinese Tech Giant – by Laura Vidal, Translated by Alexis Faber – https://www.activistpost.com/2018/12/venezuelans-shudder-at-news-of-biometric-id-deal-with-chinese-tech-giant.html – “…for those who have closely followed the Venezuelan government as it has tightened its grip on people’s data and communications, the report represented another chapter in what has become a very long story… The report confirmed suspicions and denunciations made months ago, increasing fears that the alliance with ZTE will bring Venezuela closer to the implementing a form of social credit score system similar to what is used in China. This system would determine which citizens have access to basic services based on their political allegiances. It also prompted the US government to initiate investigations into the role of ZTE in Venezuela… What is the Fatherland Card Used For?: The Reuters story pointed to the participation of ZTE in the development of a monitoring system whose primary tool is the “Carnet de la Patria”, or Fatherland Card. This identification card captures multiple pieces of personal data coupled with a unique and personalized QR code. It also serves as a digital wallet within an electronic payment system… The Fatherland Card has been strongly promoted by the government and is intended to facilitate multiple public services. The card can be requested voluntarily and free of charge. During this process, whoever wants to get a Fatherland Card must answer questions about their social and economic status… Those who have the card gain access to food and medicine, which have become dangerously scarce amid Venezuela’s political and economic crisis.” (emphasis added)

Angela Merkel: Nation States Must “Give Up Sovereignty” To New World Order – Merkel is attempting to push the globalist agenda to its disturbing conclusion before she stands down – by Tyler Durden – http://theduran.com/angela-merkel-nation-states-must-give-up-sovereignty-to-new-world-order/ – ” ‘Nation states must today be prepared to give up their sovereignty’, according to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who told an audience in Berlin that sovereign nation states must not listen to the will of their citizens when it comes to questions of immigration, borders, or even sovereignty…’In an orderly fashion of course,”’Merkel joked, attempting to lighten the mood. But Merkel has always had a tin ear for comedy and she soon launched into a dark speech condemning those in her own party who think Germany should have listened to the will of its citizens and refused to sign the controversial UN migration pact: ‘There were [politicians] who believed that they could decide when these agreements are no longer valid because they are representing The People’… ‘[But] the people are individuals who are living in a country, they are not a group who define themselves as the [German] people,’ she stressed… Merkel has previously accused critics of the UN Global Compact for Safe and Orderly Migration of not being patriotic, saying ‘That is not patriotism, because patriotism is when you include others in German interests and accept win-win situations’.”

Peter Ford: ‘Idlib to be dealt with after US troops pullout of Syria’ – https://21stcenturywire.com/2018/12/30/peter-ford-idlib-to-be-dealt-with-after-us-troop-pullout/ – ” ‘It [the situation] is well on the way to resolution, where… we will see effectively a return to the status quo, the situation as it obtained in that part of Syria before 2011 when things were quiet, Turkey was happy, relations between Turkey and Syria were excellent… For several years the Syrian government has kept tight control over the Kurds. Turkey was very happy. We are heading for a return I think to that situation and it looks as though [Tayyip] Erdogan is adjusting to that probability’, Ford said… Ford also noted that the Kurdish militia should have realized much earlier the gravity of the situation, which they had been ignoring because of the US military presence in the region, and now their best option was to try and negotiate with Damascus.”

Michio Kaku & Ray Kurzweil – Singularity is Close! (34 min)

Chemtrails Exposed: Dresser Industries and the New Manhattan Project – by Peter Kirby – https://www.activistpost.com/2018/12/chemtrails-exposed-dresser-industries-and-the-new-manhattan-project.html – “The history of manipulating atmospheric particles with electricity goes back to Queen Elizabeth’s court physician and early geophysicist William Gilbert (1544-1603). In 1600 he noted that atmospheric particles were commonly attracted to ‘electricks.’ This was the documented discovery of what is now known as ‘electrical precipitation’ and the history of this field is the history of Dresser Industries and their Environmental Systems division… In the early 1800s M. Hohlfield of Leipzig University demonstrated the effect by clearing smoke from the inside of a glass jar with an electrified wire… Lodge-Cottrell’s signature products were the massive electrostatic precipitators used to scrub coal fly ash from the exhausts of coal-fired power plants. These electrostatic precipitators are in use today and they are based on the principles of electrical precipitation. This is especially significant because coal fly ash (the smoke from burning coal) has been scientifically determined to be exactly what the airplanes of the New Manhattan Project are spraying. Isn’t that convenient? The electrostatic manipulation of airborne coal fly ash has a long, well-documented history… In 1972 Dresser Industries acquired Lodge-Cottrell and it became a division of Dresser known as Environmental Systems… …Dresser Industries has many connections to the New Manhattan Project. First of all, Dresser’s Pacific Pump Works produced equipment which enabled the scientists of the original Manhattan Project to refine the uranium used in the world’s first atomic bombs.” – Comment: Peter Kirby is the preeminent researcher on the deep state structures behind Geoengineering and Atmospheric Particulate spraying (aka Chemtrails). His first book, Chemtrails Exposed: The New Manhattan Project is available on Amazon. His new book Chemtrails Exposed: The Deep State and the New Manhattan Project will be out soon.

Syria Sitrep – Army To Regain Northeastern Territory – Political Isolation Ends – by Moon of Alabama – https://www.moonofalabama.org/2018/12/syria-sitrep-army-to-regain-northeastern-territory-political-isolation-ends.html – “Yesterday the United Arab Emirates reopened its embassy in Damascus. Bahrain will follow next. Kuwait will reopen its embassy in January. Oman never closed its embassy in Damascus. Of the Gulf countries only Qatar, allied with Turkey, and Saudi Arabia have jet to announce a revival of their relations with Syria. Before the war on Syria started, the UAE and other gulf countries financed several large investment projects in Syria. These will be revived and help the country’s economy back onto its feet. Egypt is expected to follow the move of its Gulf sponsors… Underlying the UAE move is a strategy of countering Turkey’s neo-ottoman ambition. Syria is (again) seen as the bulwark that protects the larger Arabia from Turkish marauders. It signals to Turkey that any attempt to take over more of Syria will be resisted by the Gulf states and possibly even by Egypt’s army. Egypt is, together with Russia, mediating between the Kurds and the Syrian government.”

Organ theft, staged attacks: UN panel details White Helmets’ criminal activities, media yawns – by Eva Bartlett – https://www.rt.com/op-ed/447385-white-helmets-un-panel/ – “Utter silence. That is the sound of Western corporate media days after a more than one-hour-long panel on the White Helmets at the United Nations on December 20… Journalists were present, so the silence isn’t due to lack of access. And in any case it was live streamed on the UNTV channel, and remains available on Youtube for keen observers to watch… More likely, the silence is due to the irrefutable documentation presented on the faux-rescue group’s involvement in criminal activities, which include organ theft, working with terrorists — including as snipers — staging fake rescues, thieving from civilians, and other non-rescuer behaviour.”

From the It-Just-Gets-Stranger Desk: Russia To Build Airport, Vaccine Production Plant In Syria’s Tartus – https://southfront.org/russia-to-build-airport-vaccine-production-plant-in-syrias-tartus/ – “Russian companies plan to invest in the Syrian coastal city of Tartus among other projects as part of the Syrian reconstruction, Imad Sabuni, the head of the Syrian Planning and International Cooperation Commission said on December 26th… Russian companies are reportedly planning to construct an airport in the city of Tartus, as well as joint Syrian-Russian plant to produce vaccines within a framework of agreements signed during the 11th session of the Syrian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission held on December 14th in Damascus.” (emphasis added)

ISIS-trained Terrorists Support Ukrainian Operation In Donbass – https://southfront.org/isis-trained-terrorists-support-ukrainian-operation-in-donbass/ – “The most interesting thing that the Times’ article attempts to provide a “neutral” or even “positive” look at the terrorist group’s operations by criticizing alleged human rights violations in Russia’s Chechnya and prising militancy in the Russian region… This is not the first time when it publicly appears that most of pro-Kiev forces in Donbass are terrorists, Nazis, war criminals or else. However, this does not stop the so-called “civilized world” from supporting actions of the Kiev regime.”

From The-Other-Side-Of-The-Story Desk:LA Doubled Homeless Budget, Doubled Homeless Crime – by Daniel Greenfield – https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-23/la-doubled-homeless-budget-doubled-homeless-crime – “Los Angeles had doubled its homeless budget to $450 million. Despite that its homeless population had only dropped to 39,826, a reduction of only 256 people. The only surprise in those statistics is that the population dropped at all. Homeless spending has the notorious effect of increasing homeless populations rather than diminishing them as vagrants swarm in and agencies inflate their numbers… But while doubling its homeless budget didn’t significantly diminish the homeless population in Los Angeles, it did have another spectacular statistical effect on the wellbeing of city residents… LAPD statistics showed that homeless crime actually increased by nearly 50%, jumping from 5,976 crime reports of homeless perpetrators in most of 2017 to 8,906 crime reports in most of 2018… Los Angeles had doubled its homeless budget and doubled the amount of homeless crime… Homeless advocates like to claim that the police wrongly arrest the homeless for quality of life offenses that other people get a pass on… Several epidemics and fires later, not to mention an outbreak of shoplifting and tents being set up in residential areas and outside small businesses, the full scale of homeless legalization looks even worse.”

China Leapfrogs the U.S. in 5G Internet – by David P. Goldman – https://pjmedia.com/spengler/china-leapfrogs-the-us-in-5g-internet/– “At the beginning of 2018, a National Security Council memo warned: “We are losing. Whoever leads in technology and market share for 5G deployment will have a tremendous advantage towards [ . . .] commanding the heights of the information domain,” the Financial Times reported. That is correct, but it’s six years behind the curve. The U.S. revved up a campaign to dissuade its allies from using Huawei equipment well after the Chinese firm positioned itself as the dominant equipment supplier. The U.S. nearly shut down the Chinese handset maker ZTE by banning export of the Qualcomm chips that power its smartphones, in retaliation for ZTE’s violation of sanctions against Iran (eventually ZTE paid a multi-billion dollar fine and accepted tight controls). We can’t do that to Huawei. After the ZTE business, Huawei started a crash program to make itself self-sufficient in high-performance chipsets. Its Kirin chipset designed by its design subsidiary Isilicon and manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor can do whatever Qualcomm can do.” – Comment: It becomes more and more obvious that 5G is all about surveilling you and capturing your data.

REVEALED: Israel’s IDF Used Passenger Airliners as Cover During Christmas Day Attack on Damascus – by Patrick Hennigsen – https://21stcenturywire.com/2018/12/26/revealed-israels-idf-used-passenger-airliners-as-cover-during-christmas-day-attack-on-damascus/ – “Had the Syrian military not hesitated, and engaged the initial Israeli bogey – and accidentally hit one of the passenger airliners the IDF was using as cover – the international outrage would have been substantial, with the western media most certainly blaming ‘the Assad Regime’ and ‘Putin’s Russia’ for the ‘humanitarian tragedy.’ It’s possible that an incident would have been enough to prompt renewed calls for the US forces to remain in Syria – effectively reversing the announcement made by President Trump last week to withdrawal US troops from their illegal occupation on northeastern Syria. Whether this was the Israeli motive for carrying out such a risky move is uncertain, but yesterday’s reckless incident by Israel follows a familiar and disturbing pattern of using other country’s aircraft as cover in order bait Syria’s air defenses to hit the wrong targets while conveniently concealing their own visibility on their enemy’s radar systems.”

Mainstream Media Now Openly Reporting on the Elite Lining Up to Ingest the Blood of Children – by Matt Agorist – https://www.activistpost.com/2018/12/mainstream-media-now-openly-reporting-on-the-elite-lining-up-to-ingest-the-blood-of-children.html – “It was suggested in the report that aging elites are using the blood of young people as a type of youth serum. Now, we know that they actually are using it… ‘We found that it was safe and feasible to administer infusions of young plasma weekly,’ Dr. Sharon Shaw, an Alzheimer’s researcher at Stanford, said… A similar claim was made by journalist Jeff Bercovici last year, after he conducted several interviews with Silicon Valley aristocrats including Peter Thiel, and learned about this transfusion procedure called “parabiosis,” where the blood of young people is used to prevent aging… ‘There are widespread rumors in Silicon Valley, where life-extension science is a popular obsession, that various wealthy individuals from the tech world have already begun practicing parabiosis, spending tens of thousands of dollars for the procedures and young-person-blood, and repeating the exercise several times a year,’ Bercovici reported… In his article, Bercovici also expressed concerns about a developing black market for young people’s blood.”

2018: The Year Public Watchlists Became Commonplace – by MassPrivateI – https://www.activistpost.com/2018/12/2018-the-year-public-watchlists-became-commonplace.html – “A few months ago I called 2018 the “Rise of Spying Transit Police,” but after looking through my archives, I noticed a more disturbing pattern emerge. Time and again, month after month, most of the stories I wrote revolved around one thing: watchlists… In January, I wrote two stories about facial recognition and police camshares that centered around corporate and law enforcement watchlists. From then on things got progressively worse; watchlists, blacklists and whitelists are expanding at a frightening pace… Below is a list of twenty-seven stories that show how public watchlists have become commonplace…”

US Established Two New Military Bases in Anbar Province – Reports – https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201812261071001370-usa-established-two-new-military-bases-anbar/ – “The first base was established in the northern Rumana sub-district of al-Qaim district, in the vicinity of the Syrian border, some 360 kilometres west of the provincial capital Ramadi. The second base was set up east of the city of al-Rutbah, about 310 kilometres west of Ramadi and less than 100 kilometres from the Syrian border, al-Duleimi said in an interview, according to PressTV… The official suggested that the American bases were purportedly intended to assist Iraqi forces in order to ‘secure the country’s borders and prevent infiltrations by the Daesh terrorist group.’.. ‘Scores of US soldiers are currently stationed at the two bases, along with drones and other equipment,’ added al-Duleimi, yet without providing any additional evidence.” – Comment: These “new” bases are each on one of the two major highways out of Syria going to Baghdad. The one in al-Qaim essentially replaces the function of the al-Tanf base in Syria that is being closed down now. This is business as usual represented as policy change.

Theresa May Thanks British Military For Protecting Country From “Russian Intrusion” In 2018 – https://southfront.org/theresa-may-thanks-british-military-for-protecting-country-from-russian-intrusion-in-2018/ – “In her address, she thanked the British military for protecting the UK from “Russian intrusion,” praised the co-operation with the US and France in the fight against ISIS and punishing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the alleged use of chemical weapons in April on children… Thus, essentially, she praised the military for the fight against ISIS and for several imaginary and unproven situations connected to Russia and the Syrian government… Separately, the Edinburgh radio station Sputnik was accused of being a “Russian stooge” by an unnamed Scottish member of parliament cited by The Times. Sputnik was established by a news agency that is owned by the Russian government and it opened its UK branch in 2016… The Times also provided a list of pictures and names of its executives, who are all accused of being “Russian puppets.”.. According to the unnamed leading MSP, Russians who live in Scotland and engage in “information warfare” to destabilize Britain should have their assets seized.” – Comment: The Cabinet Office and its President, Ms. May, are now revealed as being little more than Key Assets in disinfo and black propaganda. This quasi-fascist conglomerate is highly likely to take financial sanctions or even use imprisonment against people on allegations of disloyalty or “thought crimes.”

Estonia Criminalizes ‘Negative Attitude’ Towards State – https://southfront.org/estonia-criminalizes-negative-attitude-towards-state/ – “On December 25, Estonia’s Parliament accepted a law criminalizing creation and support of a negative attitude towards the state, Interfax reported. The law will be employed towards both private individuals and legal bodies.” – Comment: The legislature’s Christmas Present for Estonians everywhere! Perhaps all is not well in the halcyon land of eEstonia. Frankly, I don’t think you can make this stuff up…

Trump is leaving behind a trap for Russia, Turkey and Iran in Syria – by Elijah J. Magnier – https://ejmagnier.com/2018/12/24/trump-is-leaving-behind-a-trap-for-russia-turkey-and-iran-in-syria/ – “The quick US withdrawal is expected and even designed to create, no doubt, an initial confusion in the triangle Turkey-Syria-Iraq in the first months. ISIS, Turkey, and al-Qaeda may take advantage of this, hoping to turn the situation to their advantage. Nevertheless, this withdrawal will no doubt be a long-term blessing to the Syrian government, whose officials had not dared to hope for such an outcome. The US establishment has been a source of continuous havoc in the Levant and especially to the “Axis of the Resistance”; it has been the protector of al-Qaeda (in Idlib) and ISIS (in the area Trump declares his intention to withdraw from) in Syria and Iraq. Its departure is a sign that the US is coming to grips with the fact that its hegemony is no longer unilateral. Russia is moving forward while the US is backing off in the Middle East.”

The Psychological Warfare Behind Economic Collapse – by Brandon Smith – https://www.activistpost.com/2018/12/the-psychological-warfare-behind-economic-collapse.html – “All the evidence overwhelmingly assures us that the conspiracy is fully conscious, organized and deliberate. It is not an ugly or random byproduct of “profit motive.” This is absurd when you consider the amount of coordination that is required or the number of think tanks and secretive conferences that occur yearly, from the Council on Foreign Relations, to Tavistock, to the Trilateral Commission, to the Brookings Institution, to Davos, to Bilderberg and to even weirder circles like Bohemian Grove. These are very real centers of power that can have far reaching influence in our daily lives… To ignore this and reduce it all down to a “natural” extension of greed is to stupidly rest one’s soft spongy head in the jaws of organized evil while pretending you can’t smell the stench of its gingivitis.” More: “It is also no coincidence that the globalists have announced in 2018 that their intention is to adapt to a digital monetary system using blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. That is to say, the one world currency system predicted in The Economist is already here. They are only waiting for a crisis large enough to pressure society to accept total global centralization as a solution… Forcing the public to embrace worldwide centralization would require several measures. First, the current system, which as stated is designed to fail, would have to be allowed to crash. Second, the crash would have to be blamed on someone other than the globalists and their ideology of globalism. Third, philosophical opponents of globalism (i.e., conservatives, nationalists and decentralization activists) would have to be demonized or eliminated so that the globalists can build their new world order without opposition. Fourth, the population would need to be sufficiently traumatized to the point of psychological submission and desperation, so that when the new system is introduced, they will be grateful for it, thus preventing future rebellion by making the public a willing cooperator in their own enslavement.” (emphasis added:)